Witness testifies about Christmas Day shooting that nearly killed man

A Christmas gathering in Allentown meant for children turned into a shooting that nearly killed a man who survived only because doctors were able to revive him in the emergency room at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest, according to testimony Thursday.

One of the guests at the gathering testified at a preliminary hearing in the case that she saw Jamal T. Jones fire several shots early Christmas Day outside the home in the 900 block of Brush Street, hitting Randy Calloway twice. She said Calloway was not moving or breathing when she last saw him.

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"I saw fire from a handgun," Oddallys Massas testified. "I saw Jones at the end of the alley, shooting down."

Massas and an Allentown detective were the only two to testify at Thursday's hearing, and District Judge Donna Butler ruled they gave enough evidence to send attempted homicide charges against Jones, 32, with no current address, to Lehigh County Court.

Massas testified six adults and three children were at the Brush Street home Dec. 24.

During the night, her fiance and another guest began arguing about family issues. The other guest, a woman, left the house but returned a short time later and continued arguing outside with her fiance, Massas testified.

Massas said she went outside to see what was happening and saw Jones at the end of the Brush Street alley, close to 10th Street, holding a gun. She said Jones fired three shots, so she yelled for two children who had been outside to get into the house.

Some of the other guests, including Calloway, went outside and walked toward Jones who fired three more shots, Massas testified, and this time the bullets hit their target.

Police and paramedics arrived and rushed Calloway to the hospital. Detective Steve Fiorillo testified Calloway was shot in the pelvis and the groin.

Calloway went into cardiac arrest on the way to the hospital, he said. While emergency room doctors revived him, he lost use of his kidneys, Fiorillo testified.

Calloway was on a ventilator and unable to speak for more than a month. Fiorillo said he tried recently to speak to the victim, but Calloway had no memory of the shooting and was in a state of delirium because of his injuries.

Fiorillo testified Calloway will likely be in a rehabilitation hospital for more than a year.

What happened: A district judge ruled that Jamal T. Jones must face attempted homicide and related charges in the Christmas Day shooting of Randy Calloway in the 900 block of Brush Street in Allentown.

What's next: Jones has a formal arraignment scheduled for April 6 in Lehigh County Court.